Improvement in skates



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waited tatts Letters Patent No. 98,437, dated December 28, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN SKATES.

The'schedule referred to iii these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUGUSTUS B. SMITH, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented an Improved Skate; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to certain devices whereby a skate can be quickly and securely attached to the. foot, and as readily detached from the same; and.

' I t consists, first, in a lever hinged to the runner of the skate, and having, at its outer end, a lip adapted to a recess in a block which is attached to the heel of the boot or shoe; secondly, in the combination of the said lever and a second lip, at its outer end, with a curved wedge on the under side of the heel-plate of the skate; and thirdly, in the combination of the said lever with a single strap, secured to the sole-plate of the skate, all of which is fully described hereafter.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed'to describe the mode of constructing and using the same, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and in which-' Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved skate, showing the method of attaching the same to the foot.

Figure 2, a side view of the skate, partly in section, it appears when the fastening is complete.

' Figure 3, an inverted sectional plan view of the rear portion of the skate.

Figure 4, a transverse section on the line 1-2, fig. 2; and

Figure 5, a detached perspective view, illustratipg a portion of my invention.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the ing to the heel-plate D, so as to fit'snugly but freely.

in' a slot, (1, in the said heel-plate, (see fig. 1,) the extreme outer end e, fig. 2, under-lapping the heel-.plate,

for a purpose described hereafter.

In front of the heel j, .ofthe boot or shoe W, is secured a metal block, F, in the upper edge of which is a recess for receiving a lip, h, on the outer end of the lever E, the said front end of the lever fitting in the horizontal recess i formed in the block F, as best observed on reference to the perspective view, fig. 5.

To the under side of the sole-plateis hinged the curved wedge H, as seen in fig. 3, the wedge passing between the said sole-plate and the lip e, of the lever E, when the skate is secured to the foot.

A single strap is riveted, near its buckle m, to the soleplate 0, passes once over the instep, thence through a slot in the lever E, and again over the instep to the buckle.

In fitting the skate to the foot, the strap is so ad'- justed, in the first instance, that'subsequent tightening of the same will be unuecessary,'aud the curved wedge H is moved on one side, so as to be clear of the lever E. Tb'et'oot is then introduced between the strap and the sole-plate,the heel being elevated, as shown in fig.'1. The heel is then depressed, and the projecting portion of the block adapted to the end of the lever E, as shown-in fig. 2, the lever, at the same time, being depressed, and this depression tightens the strap.

After the heel of the boot or shoe has been brought into contact with the heel-plate D, the curved wedge H is so operated as to he pushed between the underlapping lip e, of the lever E, and the'said heel-plate. This movement of the .lever performs two duties: itserves/ to tighten the strap, and to effectually lock both the lever E and the heel-plate to the block F, on the heel of the boot or shoe.

It will be observed, that as the end of the lever E fits into a recess, i, in the said block F, lateral displacement of theskate at the heel is rendered impossible, while the wedge H prevents vertical displacement.

If desired, the wedge may beheld in the position to which it has been moved in looking the skate, by any suitable catcli,1but this is not always essential.

The mode of removing the skate from the foot will be readily understood without explanation.

I claim, as my inventiomand desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The lever E, hinged to the runner A, and having, at its outer end, a lip, ll, adapted to a recess in. a

block, F, attached to the heel of the boot or shoe, all substantially as set forth.

2. The combination .of the said lever E and its lip c, with the curved wedgefl, on the under side of the heel-plate. I

3. The combination of a single strap, G, secured to the sole-plate with the lever E.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

A. B. SMITH.

Witnesses JOHN WHITE, HARRY SMITH. 

